Mom of the Month Kimberly Fletcher has had a few surprises as a parent. But as busy as this mother of 17-year-old twins, Natasha and Morgan, is, she's never missed a beat.

In Fletcher's fifth month of pregnancy, she was surprised to learn that she was having twins.
"Looking at that ultrasound was shocking. It was quite a surprise." Though there are twins in her husband, Tracy's, family, Fletcher never considered the possibility of herself having them.

"I just didn't think about it," she said. Even though she was shocked and afraid, it was more the "fear of the unknown." In the past, when she had thought about having a family, it was, "I'll have a baby and then two to three years later, I'll have another baby." But Fletcher recalls as a child she always wanted to be a twin and finds it interesting that she ended up having them.

"The last 17 years have been a lot of fun. The girls came out running," said Fletcher. Apparently they never stopped! They have been involved with dance, basketball, track, tennis and some drama. They even had a small scene in the popular movie, "School of Rock." And while the girls were growing up, their parents were at almost every event.

"It's been very cool," she said. But it has gone by fast. "Truly a blink of an eye."

And it's because of this that Fletcher says she really tries to "be there in the moment." She said she would describe herself as a "fun-loving mom, and incredibly demonstrative."

She says she likes a lot of the same music as her daughters and loves shopping with them. The Fletchers have always enjoyed their family movie night, complete with popcorn and candy. "We've always done that." Even though her daughters have a great group of friends, she's glad that they still have family time.

Fletcher is a mom who understands how important her time, her hobbies and her interests are. When the girls were about 5 years old, Fletcher was driving with them and she started singing along to a song. The girls said they were surprised to hear her singing, and yet singing was something Fletcher always enjoyed doing.

It surprised her that her girls had never heard her sing. She realized she needed to get back to it. She started to sing at her church regularly and she loves it still. She has also returned to her other hobby: knitting. She remembers knitting while waiting for the girls to finish a dance class. But lately she's been able to devote more time to it.

Surprisingly, the Fletchers are unsure if the girls are identical or not. They look very similar but they can't be 100 percent sure if they are identical unless they have a DNA test. Fletcher believes they'll probably have the test at some point before the girls go to college next year.

An obvious big surprise to Fletcher was that she was nominated to be Mom of the Month in the first place. Daughter Morgan completed the questionnaire. When asked, "What are the two best things about this mom?" Morgan wrote, "She is a very dedicated person and always makes sure that everyone's wants and needs are met."

Fletcher said, "Your babies are always watching you but it is nice to know that at 17, she is still watching."

When Fletcher looks back on the past years raising her daughters to young womanhood, she says, "I am proud, I am blessed and I am humbled. They really, really are great kids."
College for the girls is not far away, and Fletcher soon will have an empty nest. "My reality will change," she said.

But don't feel sorry for Kimberly Fletcher. She already has things planned for her and her husband: "Wherever they attend, we'll be on the highway ... we'll be at everything."

More about January's mom

Fletcher loves to travel, especially to the Caribbean.

She has always worked outside the home, and is in the human resources field.

A perfect day for her involves a nice dinner after a full day of shopping.

Fletcher attended Franklin & Marshall College, where she met her husband.

The Fletcher family has a dog named Romeo.

Fletcher loves to bake and says she is known for her pound cake. "I'm a dessert girl!" she says.

Fletcher enjoys spending time with her mother and her sister. They enjoy attending wine tastings together.

Fletcher is a mom who picks her battles. On some things she is strict, she says, but on others she is more relaxed.

By Maureen Leader, special features writer